An attractive solution for listening to music in a hotel room on a business trip

MathAudio Room EQ version 3.02 was released on December 21, 2025 and can still be used for free with foobar2000. In theory, it can be used with a simple laptop connected to active speakers via the headphone output. The extensive description of this plugin is encouraging.

Corrects deficiencies of room acoustics (multipoint compensation).
Corrects acoustic imperfections of speakers.
Avoids the pre-echo (pre-ringing) problem of conventional convolver-based room correction systems. The absence of pre-echo ensures the neutrality of the sound.
Works in rooms, halls and outdoor venues of any size.
Performs frequency response correction, phase response correction and time domain correction.
Quells resonance peaks of frequency response while leaving the deep notches. Avoids the overcompensation which happens in conventional linearizing room correction systems.
Manually adjustable level of compensation allows one to reach the maximum transparency of the sound.
Supports full range of sample rates from 44,056 kHz up to 384 kHz. All sample rates are supported without resampling to avoid any possible loss in quality.
Includes a custom target curve feature.
Applies 64-bit signal path throughout.
Works with USB measurement microphones (e.g. MiniDSP UMIK-1 or Dayton Audio UMM-6) or standard measurement microphones (e.g. NADY CM100 or Dayton Audio EMM-6).
Supports microphone calibration files.
Applies a patented method of frequency response correction.
Works as a simple conventional mouse drawing EQ if necessary.
Supports automatic scaling for 4k monitors.
Supports manual window resizing (drag the bottom right corner of the window).
Works as a conventional mouse drawing EQ if necessary: load a new instance of Room EQ, select the "Room EQ" radio button, move the cursor of your mouse to one of the frequency response windows, press the left button of the mouse and draw your own frequency response.

This is not so promising in practice, but when it works, playing music even with simple speakers becomes more enjoyable. The comparison was made with Logitech speakers with a passive radiator, and the reference program was AIMP, which had the best results with more advanced equipment. However, it turns out that foobar is the best for Logitech and laptops because it offers acoustic correction options.

A very real challenge when making adjustments with a laptop can be connecting a standard microphone. Modern models have integrated headphone and microphone jacks. Connecting via USB solves the problem. The software manufacturer states: You need a measurement microphone to measure the frequency response of your room and your speakers. It can be a USB measurement microphone (e.g. MiniDSP UMIK-1 or Dayton Audio UMM-6). 

 

Logitech Z207 Bluetooth Computer Speakers are handy and can be taken on a business trip to relax with music in a hotel room. The manufacturer states: Each speaker has an active/powered driver for full-range audio, a passive radiator for bass extension, and 10 Watts Peak/5 Watts RMS power for rich, room-filling stereo sound. It's impressive how these little speakers handle music once calibrated and they take up so little space in luggage. Connecting them is also simple.

Back in the mid-1980s, Sony created a pair of compact SRS 50 speakers, which were active and had full-range drivers with slave bass. They weighed less than half a kilogram but had a power output of only 3.5 W for each speaker and there was a tangle of cables with them.

The Sony SRS 50 got a amplifier with the LA 4125 from Sanyo. It still works well, but now there are better options. A model with a built-in DAC and a slightly more powerful power amplifier could be very interesting. Speakers for Wi-Fi connection are already being built, which do not cost much and use DACs with better quality. They were even available at IKEA and have been offered in collaboration with Sonos, which specializes in manufacturing wireless audio systems, but Logitech has created a clearly better offer for travelers.

Logitech speakers can be connected wirelessly, but the sound quality is slightly better with a wired connection, which is fine when they are on a desk with a laptop. This solution is suitable for listening to a Swedish radio program on a Friday afternoon, the broadcast of which is available on the internet in FLAC format, which is easy to enjoy using the hotel Wi-Fi. The problem might be that the USB cable is too short to calibrate efficiently in a hotel room for listening from a comfortable chair. During the measurement, the laptop may be in a different place and the cable for connecting the speakers is usually sufficient. Buying a longer one is not a problem either.

 

 

Windows has had a calibration option for years, but it won't work with active speakers connected to the headphone output. This may work with a wireless connection driver though. Laptops most often use a Realtek audio processor. Its driver in desktop PCs allows for manual calibration, but not in laptops.

A separate calibration program is also available for purchase to take advantage of AIMP's benefits. The manufacturer states: Dirac Live Room Correction is a software tool that optimises the performance of your audio device. It automatically identifies and compensates for any problem areas in your room for the best possible audio experience. It offers: Room Correction Suite for computer audio

Benjamin's psychoacoustic lab  is constantly testing and implementing possibilities for optimal music playback using new technical solutions with the computing potential of computers and open structures. PC4uMusicis the main project. 

 
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